Hopefully Washington Huskies QB Demond Williams Jr. learns a valuable lesson

Demond Williams Jr. needs to live by his own words.

No, not the stunning statement he posted on social media Tuesday, in which Washington’s quarterback announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. Or the subsequent statement someone probably wrote for him less than two days later, in which Williams apologized and declared he’ll return to UW.

I’m talking about what Williams said on Dec. 13, after throwing four touchdowns in Washington’s 38-10 LA Bowl win over Boise State, when asked what he learned from his sophomore season.  

“I’ll say just growing as a leader throughout the season,” Williams said, with Husky coach Jedd Fisch — his most ardent supporter — sitting beside him. “I think you can ask all the guys or the coaches. About halfway through the season, there was a switch flipped in my head. I’m trying to turn the team into mine and continue to use my voice more.”

In retrospect, a reporter should have clarified which team, exactly.

Because leadership isn’t agreeing to a $4 million name, image and likeness (NIL) license agreement to return to Washington, then immediately backtracking for a bigger offer. Leadership isn’t committing to your teammates, coaches and institution, only to pave over that pledge with an Instagram post. Leadership isn’t saying (and signing) one thing, then doing another.

As I wrote Wednesday, I don’t blame Williams — or anyone, really — for being lured by a bigger offer. Who among us wouldn’t consider a position at a comparable company that pays millions more? As he stated, “I have to do what is best for me and my future.” And considering the 5-foot-11 quarterback’s unimposing stature, he may not earn that much money playing football in the future.

But the manner and timing of his attempted departure created a mess he may not overcome.

As a leader, a player and a person, Williams has room to grow.

And work to do.

He must repair an undoubtedly fractured relationship with Fisch, who put all of his eggs in a basket that nearly bolted for Baton Rouge. He must atone for the horrific timing of his initial Instagram announcement, which was posted while teammates attended a memorial service for former UW soccer player Mia Hamant. He must mend fences with an infuriated, spurned fan base that declared Demond Public Enemy No. 1. Most immediately, he must restore trust with teammates who just watched Williams try to board a money train.

He must lead the team he tried to leave, while Washington eyes a College Football Playoff return.

Williams already threw a Molotov cocktail. I’m not sure it can be caught.

And when it comes to college football, I’m not sure what happens next. Many considered the looming legal fight a flash point for the current, chaotic era of college football. In taking a stand, Washington was fighting for the enforceability of NIL and revenue share contracts. A legal line was being drawn. This could have ushered in an era of collective bargaining, in which athletes are finally acknowledged as employees and contracts can’t be egregiously bulldozed by bigger bills. This could have been a necessary bridge to something better.

Now?

What have we learned from any of this?

I hope Williams, for one, learns to live by his word.

And I hope he’s given the grace to learn that lesson. Because Demond Williams Jr. is 19 years old, an important detail amid the madness. He’s likely spent his entire life focusing on football, succeeding on every level, naive to the backlash he was barreling into. He may have received bad advice from family members, agents or advisers who didn’t have his best interest at heart.

That doesn’t excuse the mountain of compounding mistakes. A monumental switch needs to flip in his head.

But Williams can be buried by a fraught 48 hours, or get better because of it.

As for football? If the soon-to-be junior wasn’t talented, Fisch would not have fought for him. Heck, he wouldn’t have brought the four-star freshman from Arizona in the first place, essentially anointing Williams the heir to Washington’s throne. He wouldn’t have replaced senior starter Will Rogers with a true freshman, playing him against top-10 programs Penn State and Oregon in 2024.

After Williams threw for 402 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Rutgers last October, while rushing for 136 yards and two more scores, Fisch wouldn’t have said: “Demond Williams is a superstar. He’s so special. He’s so coachable. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”

The talent was worth $4 million — or more.

But Williams must work to make Fisch, teammates and fans proud of the person he becomes.

Williams said he wanted to turn this team into his own. It’s time to put the work where his mouth and money are.